Facts

MUG SHOTS

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Pasco County sheriff's deputies said Daniel Vincent Colarusso, 28, of the 1700 Block of Banyan Road, was the child's nanny for several months in 2012, when he lived near the child in Pasco County.

“I can tell you that the little girl was innocent, and that this criminal took advantage of her,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said Wednesday.

Colarusso was arrested at his South Venice home on Friday.

According to detectives, Colarusso responded to a Craiglist advertisement and was left alone with the child five days a week, almost every week, while the victim's mother went to work.

During that time, police said, Colarusso took pictures of himself sexually battering the 4-year-old girl.

He rented a room in a Pasco County apartment while he worked as a nanny, and after he moved out, landlord Jami Hastings said she found a small digital memory card (SD card) that Colarusso had left behind.

She began to use the SD card to boost her mobile phone's memory, until she glanced at the pictures on it.

“I started crying right away and called detectives,” Hastings told reporters at the Wednesday news conference.

She found “horrible pictures” of Colarusso and the victim that so disturbed her, Hastings said she felt physically ill.

Hastings thought the photographs especially disturbing because she said Colarusso lived in her apartment with her young daughter.

Hastings said that although she never left her daughter alone with Colarusso, she found some of his behavior questionable. For instance, Hastings said, Colarusso tried to tap into her ex-husband's bank account to withdraw money.

Colarusso is charged with one count of capital sexual battery, one count of promoting sex with a child and six counts of possessing child pornography.

He is being held at the Sarasota County jail without bail, and will likely be transferred up to Pasco County within the coming weeks.

Pasco County sheriff's deputies urged parents to do extensive background checks on any potential babysitters and to steer clear of searching for a sitter online.

“Finding a babysitter on Craigslist is a bad idea,” Sheriff Nocco said.

<p><em>SOUTH VENICE</em> - A South County man accused of sexual battery on a 4-year-old Pasco County girl allegedly babysat the victim after her mother posted an ad on Craigslist for child care. </p><p>At a news conference Wednesday morning, Pasco County sheriff's deputies said Daniel Vincent Colarusso, 28, of the 1700 Block of Banyan Road, was the child's nanny for several months in 2012, when he lived near the child in Pasco County.</p><p>“I can tell you that the little girl was innocent, and that this criminal took advantage of her,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said Wednesday.</p><p>Colarusso was arrested at his South Venice home on Friday.</p><p>According to detectives, Colarusso responded to a Craiglist advertisement and was left alone with the child five days a week, almost every week, while the victim's mother went to work.</p><p>During that time, police said, Colarusso took pictures of himself sexually battering the 4-year-old girl.</p><p>He rented a room in a Pasco County apartment while he worked as a nanny, and after he moved out, landlord Jami Hastings said she found a small digital memory card (SD card) that Colarusso had left behind.</p><p>She began to use the SD card to boost her mobile phone's memory, until she glanced at the pictures on it.</p><p>“I started crying right away and called detectives,” Hastings told reporters at the Wednesday news conference.</p><p>She found “horrible pictures” of Colarusso and the victim that so disturbed her, Hastings said she felt physically ill.</p><p>Hastings thought the photographs especially disturbing because she said Colarusso lived in her apartment with her young daughter.</p><p>Hastings said that although she never left her daughter alone with Colarusso, she found some of his behavior questionable. For instance, Hastings said, Colarusso tried to tap into her ex-husband's bank account to withdraw money.</p><p>Colarusso is charged with one count of capital sexual battery, one count of promoting sex with a child and six counts of possessing child pornography.</p><p>He is being held at the Sarasota County jail without bail, and will likely be transferred up to Pasco County within the coming weeks.</p><p>Pasco County sheriff's deputies urged parents to do extensive background checks on any potential babysitters and to steer clear of searching for a sitter online.</p><p>“Finding a babysitter on Craigslist is a bad idea,” Sheriff Nocco said.</p>